Perez holds the record for most Baku podiums, Norris is the only current driver with a 100% points finish rate at the track and Verstappen became Baku City Circuit’s sixth different winner in 2022. Here’s everything you need to know about each driver’s history at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix!
🇳🇱 Max VERSTAPPEN
Max Verstappen finally won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the first time in 2022. He looked set to win at Baku City Circuit in 2021, until a tyre failure put him out of the race. It was Verstappen’s third DNF at the circuit, having recorded two successive retirements here in 2017 and 2018.
Verstappen’s best result prior to 2022 was fourth, recorded in 2019. He finished as runner-up to his team-mate in the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while eighth place in 2016 is his only other finish at Baku City Circuit.
Verstappen has a 100% Q3 appearance rate in Baku, with a worst qualifying result of ninth in 2015. He’s reached the top five in qualifying in each of the last five Baku qualifying session, qualifying on the front row for the first time in 2023. He was out-qualified by his team-mate at the circuit for the third time in 2022.
MAX VERSTAPPEN’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2016 | LOST | 9 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| 2017 | WON | 5 | 5 | DNF | – |
| 2018 | LOST | 5 | 5 | DNF | – |
| 2019 | WON | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 2021 | WON | 3 | 3 | DNF | – |
| 2022 | LOST | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 2023 | WON | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
🇲🇽 Sergio PEREZ
Sergio Perez took the second victory of his Formula 1 career at the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and went on to win for a second consecutive season in 2023, becoming the first repeat winner in Baku City Circuit’s history. In 2018, he became the first driver to take multiple podium finishes at the circuit, having finished third in both 2016 and 2018. He finished as runner-up in 2022, extending his record as the driver with the most podium finishes at Baku City Circuit – a record he still holds ahead of the 2024 race.
His sixth place in 2019 is the only other time that the Mexican has finished the race in a position outside of the top three, having retired in 2017 following a collision with his then-team-mate Esteban Ocon.
Perez qualified on the front row in 2016, but started seventh following a gearbox penalty. He recorded his first actual front row start at the circuit in 2022. Perez has never failed to reach Q3 at the circuit, with a worst qualifying result of eighth. 2018, 2021 and 2023 are the only seasons in which Perez has been out-qualified by his team-mate in Baku.
SERGIO PEREZ’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2016 | WON | 2 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| 2017 | WON | 6 | 6 | DNF | – |
| 2018 | LOST | 8 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 2019 | WON | 5 | 5 | 6 | -1 |
| 2021 | LOST | 7 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| 2022 | WON | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | LOST | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
🇬🇧 Lewis HAMILTON
Lewis Hamilton looked set to win the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – but a lock-up at the first turn on the restart saw him finish only 15th. It was the first time he failed to score at Baku City Circuit.
From his first four appearances here, Hamilton never failed to finish in the top five. He took his first win at the circuit in 2018 and finished as runner-up in 2019. He finished fifth in the two previous seasons. He led the 2017 race, but fell down the order after having to pit due to having a loose headrest.
Hamilton qualified on the front row in all four Azerbaijan Grands Prix between 2017 and 2021, taking his only pole so far at the circuit in 2017. While he has reached Q3 on every appearance, he qualified only tenth in 2016 after crashing in the qualifying hour and qualified seventh in 2022. 2022 was only the second race at Baku City Circuit, after the 2016 European Grand Prix, in which Hamilton did not lead a lap.
LEWIS HAMILTON’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2016 | LOST | 10 | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| 2017 | WON | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 |
| 2018 | WON | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | LOST | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | WON | 2 | 2 | 15 | -13 |
| 2022 | LOST | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 2023 | WON | 5 | 5 | 6 | -1 |
🇬🇧 George RUSSELL
On his first Azerbaijan Grand Prix appearance in 2019, George Russell finished 15th, having qualified 19th. He failed to finish the race in 2021. Russell reached Q2 at the circuit for the first time in 2021, qualifying in 15th place.
He out-qualified his team-mate for the third time at the track on his first appearance here with Mercedes in 2022, qualifying in fifth. In the race, Russell secured his first points at the track. He did so by finishing on the podium, in third place.
In 2023, Russell narrowly missed out on a spot in Q3, qualifying 11th and gaining three positions over the course of the race to finish eighth.
Prior to his F1 career, Russell had a Saturday to forget at the track in F2 in 2018, finishing only twelfth in the Feature Race. He turned it around on Sunday though, and took victory in the Sprint Race.
GEORGE RUSSELL’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2019 | WON | 19 | 17 | 15 | 2 |
| 2021 | WON | 15 | 15 | DNF | – |
| 2022 | WON | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 2023 | LOST | 11 | 11 | 8 | 3 |
🇲🇨 Charles LECLERC
Charles Leclerc scored his first Formula 1 points at the event in 2018, finishing a season-best of sixth. He looked set to have a very good Azerbaijan Grand Prix with Ferrari in 2019, but he crashed in qualifying and lined up eighth on the grid. It remains the only time he has been out-qualified by a team-mate in Baku. He finished fifth, beating his previous best result at the circuit.
In 2021, Leclerc took pole position for the race, but finished only fourth – still bettering his best result at the venue. In 2022, Leclerc took pole once again but mechanical issues saw him retire from the race while leading, bringing to an end his 100% points-scoring record at the track.
A third pole followed at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix but he was again unable to convert it into a win. He did at least finish on the podium, recording his first top three result at Baku City Circuit.
CHARLES LECLERC’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2018 | WON | 14 | 13 | 6 | 7 |
| 2019 | LOST | 10 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| 2021 | WON | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 |
| 2022 | WON | 1 | 1 | DNF | – |
| 2023 | WON | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 |
🇪🇸 Carlos SAINZ
Carlos Sainz’s four race run of consecutive points finishes in Azerbaijan came to an end in 2022 as he recorded his first retirement at Baku City Circuit since 2016. Sainz’s best result here is a fifth place finish, which he has recorded twice: with Renault in 2018 and with Ferrari in 2023.
Sainz has progressed to Q3 four times in Baku, including in each of the last three seasons. Fourth is his best qualifying result to date at the track, which is where he has qualified in each of the last two years. From his seven appearances here, Sainz has never out-qualified a team-mate at the circuit.
CARLOS SAINZ’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2016 | LOST | 13 | 18 | DNF | – |
| 2017 | LOST | 12 | 15 | 8 | 7 |
| 2018 | LOST | 10 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| 2019 | LOST | 11 | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| 2021 | LOST | 5 | 5 | 8 | -3 |
| 2022 | LOST | 4 | 4 | DNF | – |
| 2023 | LOST | 4 | 4 | 5 | -1 |
🇬🇧 Lando NORRIS
Lando Norris finished eighth on his first Azerbaijan Grand Prix appearance in 2019 and bettered that result in 2021 with fifth place. He recorded his worst result to date at the circuit in 2022 but maintained his 100% points-scoring rate with a ninth place finish. He finished ninth again last year.
Norris is yet to be out-qualified by a team-mate at Baku City Circuit. His best qualifying result here so far is sixth, recorded in 2021. He failed to reach Q3 at the circuit for the first time in 2022, qualifying 11th.
Norris also raced here in Formula 2 in 2018, where he finished sixth in the Feature Race and fourth in the Sprint Race.
LANDO NORRIS’ AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2019 | WON | 7 | 7 | 8 | -1 |
| 2021 | WON | 6 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| 2022 | WON | 11 | 11 | 9 | 2 |
| 2023 | WON | 7 | 7 | 9 | -2 |
🇦🇺 Oscar PIASTRI
Oscar Piastri finished just outside of the points in 11th place on his first Azerbaijan Grand Prix appearance in 2023. He reached Q3 in qualifying, setting the tenth fastest lap time; three positions behind his team-mate.
Oscar Piastri was eliminated at the opening corner of his first appearance at Baku City Circuit in Formula 2 in 2021. He went on to finish eighth in the second Sprint Race, before narrowly missing out on the Feature Race victory, finishing as runner-up to Juri Vips.
OSCAR PIASTRI’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2023 | LOST | 10 | 10 | 11 | -1 |
🇪🇸 Fernando ALONSO
Fernando Alonso has scored on five of his six previous appearances at Baku City Circuit. Though Alonso retired from the first race at the track in 2016, he went on to finish ninth in 2017 and seventh in 2018. His 2018 result is made all the more impressive by the fact that he drove back to the pits on two wheels after a first lap incident.
Alonso recorded his best result to date at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with in 2023 with fourth place. He also recorded his best qualifying result to date in Baku last year, setting the sixth fastest time in Q3.
Despite scoring five times, Alonso has qualified in the top ten in Baku only three times. He recorded his only Q1 exit at the track to date in 2017. Alonso has never been out-qualified by a team-mate here.
FERNANDO ALONSO’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2016 | WON | 14 | 13 | DNF | – |
| 2017 | WON | 16 | 19 | 9 | 10 |
| 2018 | WON | 13 | 12 | 7 | 5 |
| 2021 | WON | 9 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| 2022 | WON | 10 | 10 | 7 | 3 |
| 2023 | WON | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
🇨🇦 Lance STROLL
Lance Stroll failed to score at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the first time in 2021, after retiring with a tyre failure. He also retired in 2022. Prior to 2021, Stroll scored on all three visits to Baku City Circuit and recorded the best result of his career so far here in 2017, finishing on the podium in third place. He nearly finished as runner-up, but was passed by Valtteri Bottas on the line. Stroll added to his points tally here with eighth and ninth place finishes in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
After two consecutive retirements, Stroll returned to the points at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a seventh place finish; his second-best result to date in Baku.
2023 also saw Stroll return to Q3 in Azerbaijan for the first time since his maiden season. He qualified ninth last year, meaning that eighth in 2017 remains his best qualifying result at the track. Stroll was eliminated in Q2 in 2018 and was out in Q1 on all three appearances between 2019 and 2022. He qualified on the back row in both 2021 and 2022. 2018 remains the last last time he out-qualified his team-mate at Baku City Circuit.
LANCE STROLL’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2017 | WON | 8 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 2018 | WON | 11 | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| 2019 | LOST | 16 | 13 | 9 | 4 |
| 2021 | LOST | 19 | 19 | DNF | – |
| 2022 | LOST | 19 | 19 | DNF | – |
| 2023 | LOST | 9 | 9 | 7 | 2 |
🇫🇷 Esteban OCON
Esteban Ocon finished sixth on his first appearance at Baku City Circuit in the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but that remained his only finish at the circuit until 2022, when he finished tenth.
Ocon retired in both 2018 and 2021, while 2017 he collided with team-mate Sergio Perez, in an incident which ultimately ended the Mexican’s race. The Frenchman finished only 15th last year.
Ocon reached Q3 in both 2017 and 2018, qualifying and starting from seventh on both occasions. 2021 was the first time he failed to reach Q3 here, qualifying 12th. He has not qualified in the top ten since. He recorded his worst qualifying result to date at the track in 2022, exiting in Q2 and qualifying 13th.
2018 and 2022 are the only times Ocon has out-qualified his team-mate in his five appearances at the track.
ESTEBAN OCON’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2017 | LOST | 7 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| 2018 | WON | 7 | 7 | DNF | – |
| 2021 | LOST | 12 | 12 | DNF | – |
| 2022 | LOST | 13 | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| 2023 | WON | 12 | PIT | 15 | 4 |
🇫🇷 Pierre GASLY
Finishing in third place in 2021, Pierre Gasly recorded his first points at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He finished 12th in 2018 and retired from the race in 2019. He scored once again in 2022, finishing fifth with AlphaTauri but failed to bring home points in 2023, coming home only 14th.
2021 was the first time Gasly reached Q3 here, qualifying an impressive fourth. He recorded his second Q3 appearance at the track in 2022, qualifying sixth. Gasly set the fastest time in Q1 in 2019 before being excluded for exceeding the fuel flow limit. He qualified on the back row last year, recording his second Q1 exit at Baku City Circuit.
PIERRE GASLY’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2018 | WON | 17 | 17 | 12 | 5 |
| 2019 | LOST | 15 | PIT | DNF | – |
| 2021 | WON | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 2022 | WON | 6 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 2023 | LOST | 19 | 17 | 14 | 3 |
🇹🇭 Alex ALBON
Alex Albon is yet to score a point at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He finished 11th with Toro Rosso in 2019 and 12th with Williams in both 2022 and 2023. While Albon reached Q2 in 2019, qualifying in 13th place, he could qualify no higher than 17th in 2022. He equalled his best qualifying result to date at the track in 2023 with 13th place.
He gained five positions in the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which remains the only time he has gained positions from where he has started at Baku City Circuit. He finished where he started in both 2019 and 2023.
ALEX ALBON’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2019 | LOST | 13 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| 2022 | WON | 17 | 17 | 12 | 5 |
| 2023 | WON | 13 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
🇦🇷 Franco COLAPINTO
This will be Franco Colapinto’s first time racing at Baku City Circuit.
🇯🇵 Yuki TSUNODA
Yuki Tsunoda scored points on his first appearance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2021, finishing in seventh place. After encountering DRS issues, he failed to score points in 2022 and finished 13th. Tsunoda returned to the top ten in 2023, scoring a single point with a tenth place finish.
Tsunoda has reached Q3 on all three appearances to date at Baku City Circuit, qualifying in eighth place in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Last year was the first time that he out-qualified a team-mate at Baku City Circuit.
YUKI TSUNODA’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2021 | LOST | 8 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 2022 | LOST | 8 | 8 | 13 | -5 |
| 2023 | WON | 8 | 8 | 10 | -2 |
🇦🇺 Daniel RICCIARDO
Daniel Ricciardo won the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix from tenth on the grid. It’s his only top six finish to date in Baku. His ninth place with McLaren in 2021 was the first time that he reached the chequered flag here since his win and he went on to score points again on his last appearance at Baku City Circuit in 2022.
Ricciardo retired from the race in both 2018 and 2019; his 2018 retirement being a result of a crash with then Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.
Ricciardo has not reached Q3 in Azerbaijan since 2018, having been eliminated in Q2 in his last three races at the track. He has been out-qualified by his team-mate on his last two appearances. Ricciardo has a best qualifying result here of third place, in 2016. That later became a front row start, as the result of a grid penalty for Sergio Perez. He’s yet to qualify outside of the top 13 at the track.
DANIEL RICCIARDO’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2016 | WON | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 |
| 2017 | LOST | 10 | 10 | 1 | 9 |
| 2018 | WON | 4 | 4 | DNF | – |
| 2019 | WON | 12 | 10 | DNF | – |
| 2021 | LOST | 13 | 13 | 9 | 4 |
| 2022 | LOST | 12 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
🇫🇮 Valtteri BOTTAS
Valtteri Bottas won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the first time in 2019. He also finished as runner-up in 2017. Bottas nearly won the 2018 race, but was eliminated following a late race puncture. His win in 2019 remains the last time that he scored a point at the track, having finished 12th and 11th in 2021 and 2022, and a lowly 18th in 2023.
The Finn has started from the front row of the grid in two Baku races, taking pole position here for the first time in 2019. He held a 100% Q3 appearance rate at the track until 2022, when he qualified only 15th. He was out in Q2 last year. 2019 was the first time that Bottas has out-qualified his team-mate in Baku. 2023 is the only other season in which he has done so.
VALTTERI BOTTAS’ AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2016 | LOST | 8 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| 2017 | LOST | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | LOST | 3 | 3 | DNF | – |
| 2019 | WON | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | LOST | 10 | 10 | 12 | -2 |
| 2022 | LOST | 15 | 15 | 11 | 4 |
| 2023 | WON | 14 | 13 | 18 | -5 |
🇨🇳 ZHOU Guanyu
Zhou Guanyu is yet to cross the finish line at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. After qualifying one position ahead of his team-mate in 14th place in 2022, Zhou failed to finish the race His first F1 appearance at Baku City Circuit came to an end 24 laps into the race, retiring with hydraulic issues. In 2023, he exited in Q1 and retired 36 laps into the race with overheating problems.
Zhou previously competed at Baku City Circuit in Formula 2 in 2019 and 2021. From five races at the track, Zhou finished in the top ten twice and recorded two retirements. His best result here is third in the first Sprint Race in 2021.
ZHOU GUANYU’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2022 | WON | 14 | 14 | DNF | – |
| 2023 | LOST | 16 | 15 | DNF | – |
🇬🇧 Oliver BEARMAN
Having been announced as a 2025 Haas driver just a few weeks ago, Oliver Bearman will make an early debut with the American team at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix following Kevin Magnussen’s one-race ban.
This will be Bearman’s second Formula 1 outing, having scored points on debut when standing in for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
In 2023, Bearman completed a perfect weekend at Baku City Circuit in Formula 2. He secured pole position, won the Sprint Race from ninth on the grid and took victory in Sunday’s Feature Race. The result moved him up 12 positions in the championship standings.
🇩🇪 Nico HULKENBERG
Ninth place in the 2016 European Grand Prix is the only time that Nico Hulkenberg has scored points from five appearances at the circuit. He failed to finish in both 2017 and 2018. He finished 14th in 2019 and 17th on his last appearance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2023.
Hulkenberg has reached Q3 in Baku only once, with a ninth place qualification in 2018. However, a grid penalty meant that he started only 14th that year. His best starting position at the track is 12th, in 2016. He recorded his first Q1 exit at the track in 2019 and was out in Q1 again in 2023. He started the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the pit lane.
NICO HULKENBERG’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
| Quali Battle | Qualified | Grid | Finished | Pos Change | |
| 2016 | LOST | 12 | 12 | 9 | 3 |
| 2017 | WON | 14 | 13 | DNF | – |
| 2018 | WON | 9 | 14 | DNF | – |
| 2019 | LOST | 18 | 15 | 14 | 1 |
| 2023 | WON | 17 | PIT | 17 | 3 |
